


More Than Romantic

by SwimyGhost



Category: Lupin III
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Asexual Character, Asexual Relationship, Everyone Is Gay, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Multi, Pansexual Character, Polyamorous Character, Sexual Tension, fujiko is bi, goemon is panromantic ace, jigen is bi, lupin is pansexual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:01:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23539531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwimyGhost/pseuds/SwimyGhost
Summary: Goemon is struggling to understand his feelings towards Lupin and the rest of the Gang. While he tries to ignore it and put on a scowl, the Gang isn't helping by always trying to be just a little more than romantic with him...
Relationships: Arsène Lupin III/Mine Fujiko, Ishikawa Goemon XIII/Arsène Lupin III, Ishikawa Goemon XIII/Jigen Daisuke/Arsène Lupin III/Mine Fujiko, Jigen Daisuke/Arsène Lupin III
Comments: 8
Kudos: 54





	More Than Romantic

Goemon liked to pride himself as the only rational member of the “Lupin Gang”. Lupin was always a few brain cells short of coherent thought when it came to treasure or women, Jigen more or less relied on his Smith & Wesson Model 19 to solve all his problems which led him into more trouble, and the less said about Fujiko the better.

Lately, however, Goemon had been experiencing more and more irrational thoughts that truly bothered him. He doubted the rest of the gang knew as they were too occupied with their constant bickering and planning to notice the once cool-headed Goemon had his face in a perpetual scowl.

That was until Lupin called him out on it.

“You know, Goemon, keep that look and Pops won’t be able to tell the difference between you and ol’ Jigen.”

Goemon narrowed his eyes at his fellow thief. Despite his friend’s teasing tone, his deep brown eyes betrayed his worry. Lupin leaned in closer, causing Goemon to tense up. Their foreheads were almost touching and Lupin had sneakily rested his arm on the brick wall above the samurai’s head. His heart nearly exploded out of Goemon’s chest as Lupin gave him one of his infamous smirks, though he knew better than to expose his true feelings. Instead, Goemon brought down the sheath of his sword, Zantetsuken, upon Lupin’s head and swiftly moved out of the way before the thief slammed into the ground. 

“Perhaps you should keep your eyes somewhere else,” Goemon said plainly, still refusing to give in to his true emotion.

“Got it.” Lupin groaned.

“If you two are done squabbling like schoolgirls, we should hurry. Our target has arrived.”

Goemon sent a silent prayer to the heavens as he glanced up at his other companion, the gruff gunman with a smoking addiction. Speaking of, Jigen blew out a puff of smoke before descending from the brick window perch he had set himself on. The rifle that hung from his back clanked as he dropped to the creaky wood floor. Lupin, apparently forgetting what had transpired earlier, gave another bright smile before wrapping his arm around Jigen’s neck.

“Thank God, I was getting tired of all these Holy dust bunnies crawling up my nose.” Lupin motioned at the dusty boxes and old Bibles that the attic of the old church they were held up in kept away from the public. 

Jigen snorted. “That and the fact I was tired of hearing you brag about Fujiko’s beauty.”

“I did become redundant after the first ten minutes, Lupin.” Goemon agreed.

Lupin frowned. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, you two. You forget Fujiko is the one that is gonna help us wrap up this plan in a nice, neat, little bow.”

“Or steal everything and leave us in Pops’s mercy.”

“Ye of little faith, Jigen. In a _church_ no less! You worry too much, my _compadre_! I promise everything will go to plan!”

Of course, it didn’t go to plan. Fujiko escaped with the rare billion-dollar diamond necklace owned by some queen Goemon forgot the name of and left the rest of the gang to fend off an aggravated Inspector Zenigata and the rest of the ICPO’s lankies. It didn’t take much to lose them, especially with Jigen’s talent and Goemon’s skill with a sword. Cutting through the supposed “indestructible” defenses the inspector had placed was like a knife cutting through warm butter and Jigen’s unrivaled skill made it so those who tried to fight against the gang fell like dominoes. Much to the chagrin of the law-abiding inspector, the group managed to escape and ended up squatting in a rundown apartment building on the edge of the city. 

Goemon, as always, found himself meditating in the corner of the stained room as Jigen paced like a caged tiger in front of the cracked window. Lupin, meanwhile, was laying on the dust-caked bed with his left leg propped up on his right knee with a thoughtful expression on his face.

“Ya know,” the gentleman thief finally said after an agonizing hour of silence. “I think that could’ve gone a little better.”

“Oh do ya!?” Jigen shouted, finally stopping his mindless pacing. He pointed an enraged finger at his friend.

“I knew that, once again, Fujiko would betray us! I even warned you! But did you believe me? NO!” 

Goemon rested his head against the worn wallpapered wall. It let out a small thud due to the wall’s hallowedness but he wasn’t too bothered. No, he was merely wondering how long it would take before he had to step in. 

It wasn’t the first time he had to break up a Fujiko related fight between the two men, nor would it be the last.

Lupin just gave him a lazy glance. “C’mon, Jigen, all’s not entirely lost. We did manage to get out with _some_ money.”

“A hundred dollars, Lupin! That’s not even close to the billion-dollar necklace we lost!” Jigen rebutted with his cigarette threatening to fall out of his open mouth.

“Aaaaaand… This!”

Goemon watched as his grinning companion pulled out a medium-sized bottle of wine from seemingly out of nowhere. Even Jigen looked at the bottle with shock. Lupin haphazardly tossed it from one hand to the other with his smile turning into a sly smirk.

“I nabbed this baby from the church before we made our way to the museum. Thank God it didn’t shatter into a million tiny pieces.” Lupin chuckled.

“Jesus, Lupin, you’re going to Hell for that.” Jigen groaned, sitting on the bed next to Lupin with a grunt.

“And not all the stealing and womanizing?” 

“Nope.”

Goemon grunted. The fight was surprisingly quick. Usually, the pair would bicker until Goemon stepped in, only for them to refuse to speak to each other like children then going back to being best friends the next day. 

_Alcohol does funny things to people before they even drink it, I suppose_ the samurai thought.

“Hey, Goemon! Get in on the action, buddy!”

Lupin had a stupid grin on his face as he shook the bottle in an attempt to entice Goemon. Goemon frowned.

“You know I only drink saké.”

“C’mon! It’s basically saké!”

“It’s really not.”

“Just join us, Goemon. You don’t even need to drink the damn stuff.” Jigen said with a huff.

Goemon sighed and stood up. He made his way to the duo as Lupin opened the bottle with the satisfying _pop_. Jigen eagerly watched as Lupin took a quick swig from the bottle before passing it to his gunslinging friend. Goemon crossed his legs and set Zantetsuken next to him as he sat next to Lupin listening to the bed creak under their weight. The two finished the bottle relatively quickly with Jigen barely being affected while Lupin having a faint blush painted on his face. Uncomfortably, Goemon watched Lupin wrap his arms around Jigen’s neck and pull him into a hug. Jigen surprisingly returned his affections with a one-armed hug of his own.

“Listen, I love you, Jigen. You’re, like, my best friend.”

Jigen chuckled as he affectionately bumped his head against Lupin’s. “Couldn’t agree more, pal.”

Goemon attempted to rise to his feet. “I should go.”

“Nooooo!”

Goemon felt a tug on his sleeve causing him to look down. He was faced with a sloppy-faced Lupin trying to pull him into an equally sloppy hug. Jigen chuckled at Goemon’s clear confusion.

“Stay with us, Goe-dear!” Lupin whined.

“D-Don’t call me that.” Goemon stuttered.

Lupin smirked. “Awww, you embarrassed?”

Goemon felt Lupin snake his hand pass his arm and rest on the left side of his hip. A blush spread across the samurai’s pale face as Lupin tossed the empty bottle away in favor of placing his other hand on his friend’s hip. Lupin, cocky as ever, attempted to slide his palm’s down to Goemon’s groin. 

Swiftly, the thief slammed the flat side of Zantetsuken’s on Lupin’s head and made his way towards the door to the outside. 

“I need fresh air. Don’t follow me.”

It took him nearly three hours before his speeding heart settled down enough for Goemon to gain the courage to return back to the apartment. There, he found Jigen and Lupin already asleep, together in the same bed and naked. He noticed that the french thief had curled into a ball with his face buried into Jigen’s chest. The gunman’s shaggy hair hid his eyes, but it didn’t hide his sleepy smile that matched Lupin’s goofy tired grin. Goemon felt a pit in his stomach. Anyone could tell Lupin didn’t only have eyes for Fujiko and that he wasn’t the straightest man in the world, but Goemon couldn’t help but feel jealous. 

He knew Murasaki still held feelings for him and he, in turn, held feelings for her, but his heart always fluttered when Lupin gave him gentle touches or personal compliments. He also couldn’t help but feel intense warmth when Jigen or Fujiko did similar actions. Goemon couldn’t pick apart what these emotions meant. Was he gay? Bisexual? Neither? Was it wrong to feel these feelings? And… Could he give Lupin and the others what they desired?

These questions would only be answered a month later. The gang had robbed both a bank and an antique liquor store Zürich, Switzerland and escaped into the Swiss Alps, leaving a disgruntled Inspector Zenigata and his ICPO goons buried under a couple of feet of snow. The gang had been forced to hide in one of Lupin the First’s, Lupin’s grandfather’s, many hideouts, a wooden cabin hidden by a dense forest and fluffy snow. 

The Japanese thief watched as his companions, caked in thousands of Swiss francs, get absolutely wasted on stolen bottles of liquor. Lupin had simply started drinking whatever bottle he could get his hands on while Fujiko and Jigen specifically chose a French wine dubbed _Chateau Petrus 1982_ and an Irish bourbon whiskey called Blackforest respectively. Goemon had stolen several bottles of sak é, but he was slowly sipping a bottle of _Katsuyama Akatsuki Junmai Daiginjo_. 

“A toast, my friends! A toast to our amazing skills of thievery and dex-cepton!” Lupin cheered drunkenly. With a shaky hand, he raised an overflowed shot glass filled with expensive scotch. 

“Don’t you mean ‘deception’?” Fujiko asked, tossing her long brown and blonde dyed hair over her shoulder.

“Yeah, whatever,” Lupin said with an eye roll.

“C’mon, man,” Jigen shifted on the red couch he shared with Fujiko and Lupin. “Just admit you can’t handle your liquor and you’re drunk.”

“I’m noooooot!” Lupin whined.

“Boys boys, knock it off.”

Goemon silently eyed Fujiko as she slipped over her tan winter coat and revealed the yellow tank-top underneath. He tried to ignore the deep slit in the top that showed off a large amount of cleavage, but Lupin didn’t help his attempts as he tried to grab a hold of one of her breasts. Fujiko smacked away his hand with a frown as she raised her glass.

“A toast, to us.”

“Cheers!”

“You said it.”

“... _Kanpai_.”

The glasses clinked together and the sounds of drinking filled the wooden cabin. The three thieves cheered with Goemon choosing to lean back in his lone red loveseat with Zantetsuken laid upon his chest. The samurai tried to close his eyes to ignore the sound of shuffling and giggling of the others. His eyes were forced open when he felt a weight pressed against his left side. Fujiko, with a faint blush growing on her cheeks, had grappled her arms around Goemon’s. Her breasts pressed against his shoulder with a cheeky grin on her face. She abandoned her shot glass on a nearby mahogany end table so she was easily able to rest a hand on Goemon’s bare chest.

“What’s the matter, Goemon, hun?”  
  


“He’s too shy to join the party.”

Suddenly, Lupin was on Goemon’s right with an equally devilish grin on his face. He rested a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

“Perhaps he needs a little… Persuasion.”

“I-um… Jigen-”

The gunslinger merely smirked and blew out a large puff of thick smoke from his pipe. He shifted his body to get a better view of the samurai.

“I think he does too… C’mere.”

In the blink of an eye, Fujiko had almost fully planted herself on Goemon’s lap and begun inching her face closer to his. Goemon felt his chest tight as his heart thundered with every beat. Everything felt so cold and hot at the same time. Goemon felt sweat forming on his brow. Blood was roaring in his ears as he felt Fujiko’s hot breath reach his skin. Then, her hand found its way to slowly snake towards his crouch.

Without warning and what felt like only a few heartbeats, Goemon was on his feet. He whirled around to face the two shocked thieves at the same time as he was unsheathing his blade. 

“Do not touch me!”

Fujiko flinched at both the sudden blade in her face and the scathing look Goemon was conveying. Lupin instinctively placed himself in between the glimmering blade and his lover while eyed down the blade’s wielder with concern. His hand was fixed on his revolver as Jigen straightened up on the couch.

Meanwhile, Goemon was panicking. His head was swimming with thoughts and feelings just as his legs began to shake. Goemon’s arms felt like jelly once reality finally set in and he began to truly understand his actions.

_What...What have I done_?

With that, Goemon swiftly dashed out of the room, knocking over a couple of unopened bottles of booze and into the adjacent hallway all while ignoring the calls for him to come back. Dashing past the overly decorated walls, Goemon was faced with windows at the end of the hall. In his panic, the thief smashed open the window and escaped out into the dark snowy outside. Wind dug its claws into the bare parts of his skin, but Goemon barely noticed. 

In his panicked state, Goemon made his way up to the snowed caked roof with the cold biting into his flesh. Even if he was sensitive to extreme temperatures, the wild thoughts that clouded Goemon’s mind were enough to block out the extreme howling the wind was producing. With a dull clatter, the sword fell from the shaking hand of Goemon, who was trying to bottle up his emotions. 

However, his usual method of hiding his true feelings was failing miserably as his body shook with each sob that tried to break it’s way through his hard shell. The constricting feeling in his chest returned with a fearful vengeance as did the turbulent sound of blood rushing in his ears. 

“Goemon!”

Goemon’s eyes, which had been pressed shut, shot open with the sudden disappearance of both his breath and voice. The crunching sound of snow being stepped on grew closer as whoever had called to him advanced.

“Hey, listen, is it what Fujiko and I did? Listen, we’re sorry but we have to know what is happening or else we-”

“You need to go. Now.”

“Um, no? I just watched my closest friend pull a katana on my girlfriend then run out into the middle of a blizzard, I’m not going-”

“That wasn’t a request, Lupin!”

Goemon whipped his head around and was greeted with the shivering form of Lupin the Third. The Frenchman didn’t even wear a coat, despite the obviously freezing conditions. Still, Lupin stood his ground and straightened his back. His eyes narrowed into an almost thin line just as his mouth did, but he refused to move a muscle.

“Your shaking, Goemon.”

Goemon’s gaze darted away from his fellow thief. “I-I’m cold.”

“No, you're not,” Lupin snorted, “I know you, Goemon, and I know you don’t get hot or cold… Or explode into fits of rage on a dime. Not unless something really wound you up. So, what’s the problem.”

_Shit,_ Goemon thought anxiously. Was he really gonna tell him now? Here? After… All he just did? There was no way!

“I-I can’t.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Lupin-”

“Because I don’t understand what is such the big deal that you have to start pulling swords out on us like that! I mean, aren’t we your friends? Was the booze not good enough for you? If that’s the case, we can hit another store sometime and I can get you a whole case of-”

“I LOVE YOU, OKAY!?”

The silence was deafening. The only thing to be heard other than the wind was Goemon’s labored breathing. All the confidence he had that day was drained and was replaced with fear and fatigue. Fatigue stemmed from the fact he was just so tired of having that held within him for so long; fear came from the fact that Goemon now had to explain himself.

“I... I love you.” Goemon started, his voice and body shaking all the while. “I love you. I love Fujiko. I love Jigen. I… I _crave_ the attention you and Fujiko and Jigen give to one another. I desire the emotion you all share between you. But… I can’t give you what you want.”

“What _do_ we want?”

Goemon felt a hand cup on the left side of his face. It was warm and gentle, a calm flame amongst a raging storm. A warmth Goemon never expected to receive from Lupin. The Frenchman’s eyes were warm too but they held a layer of concern that worried Goemon. It took the samurai a few seconds to compose himself; even with a lowered head and wounded pride, Goemon started once more.

“I know how you three share love. It’s intimate, passionate, rough and burning like an unstable wildfire. You crave for each other physically more than just emotionally. I see how you three handle each other, so rough and delicate all at the same time.”

“I want to have that,” Goemon explained, tears escaping his eyes. “I want to have that emotional desire with you. I want to… Hold you three. Be with you three. Just… Embrace each other. But I cannot provide the physical love you need.”

Goemon pushed Lupin away and cupped his face with his shaky hands with shame. “I know something is wrong with me because I cannot feel the physical… No… _Sexual_ love you three clearly feel for one another. I can’t figure out _why_ I don’t feel this way or why I can’t fix myself but I’m _trying_ to. I really am trying to fix myself so-”

Goemon’s speech was cut off by Lupin’s monkey-like laughter. The high pitched sounds of animalistic laughter stunned Goemon into silence. He watched his fellow thief struggle to keep himself upright as he continued to let out deep guffaws. 

“You… Oh my God, Goemon you handsome bastard you.”

“I-I don’t understand.” Goemon started to feel tears well up in his eyes. Was Lupin mocking him?

“Goemon, there’s nothing wrong with you!” Lupin slapped a hand on Goemon’s shoulder and shook it playfully. “You’re just asexual.”

“A-what?”

“Asexual,” Lupin repeated.

“I’m confused,” Goemon shook his head. “What does this… Asexual… Have to do with me?”

“Oh my… How do I explain this.” Lupin scratched his chin while deep in thought. “Um… Basically you don’t wanna get boned or you don’t wanna bone anybody. There are many variations on being asexual but that’s the simple definition of it.”

“...And I believe the worst one you could’ve given.” Goemon frowned.

Lupin returned the expression. “Look, you asked and I gave you an answer. Sorry, it wasn’t perfect.”

With a more delicate meaning behind it, Lupin rested both hands on Goemon’s shoulder and gave him a sympathetic look.

“I understand this all be… Difficult to understand. I- no, we’ll all be here to help you. I… I also wish to apologize.”

“Apologize?” Goemon’s eyes widened. “What for?”

“I’m going to be honest with you: I’m a very… Sexual person, to say the least. I know I am and… I’m not good at showing my feelings without… Well, without having some deeper sexual meaning underneath them.”

_That’s one way of putting it_ Goemon couldn’t help but snarkily think. 

“I honestly thought that you were just… Not really into me or Fujiko or Jigen since you reacted so negatively to our advances. If I would’ve known how you were feeling then I would’ve changed my actions. Now, this isn’t me trying to blame you because it isn’t but…”

Lupin sighed and glanced at his shoes. “I… I love you Goemon. So do Fujiko and Jigen, I’ve asked them. And… I wanna give this relationship a try. An honest try.”

Goemon’s heart skipped a beat as Lupin carefully took his hand and gently squeezed it with both of his. “You’re not saying-”

“I want you to be my partner, Goemon Ishikawa,” Lupin said with a smile. “I want to be in a relationship with you. Screw sex or the innuendos or whatever, I just wanna be with… You. Yes, I _do_ want something more than romantic… I want to love you.”

His heart was a flutter. This was everything Goemon dreamed of and more. However, something felt… Wrong.

“I don’t want you to give up your feelings just for me. It wouldn’t be fair.” Goemon said.

Lupin chuckled. “Goemon, I’m not giving away _anything_. I’m pretty sure I can have a partner with which I don’t do the horizontal tango with.”

Goemon pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. “Lupin-”

“Fine, I can have a partner with which I don’t have sex. Happy?”

“...Better.”

“Good!” Lupin said with a goofy smile.

Goemon gave a small, yet comforting, grin back to his new boyfriend and squeezed Lupin’s hand. “Thank you. I’m… I’m sorry you had to find out like this. I wish there had been a better occasion to tell you.”

Lupin shrugged. “We’re thieves, dear, nothing is easy for us.”

Goemon’s cheeks warmed at the pet name. “Sh-Shouldn’t we get off the roof?”

“Finally! My ass is starting to freeze solid out here!”

Goemon chuckled at his boyfriend’s profane language but also noticed Lupin’s arm not so studly planting itself around his shoulders. 

“You do realize you have to apologize to both Fujiko and Jigen, right?”

Goemon groaned. “I haven’t forgotten.”

Lupin snickered and planted a kiss on top of Goemon’s head. “Don’t worry, love! I’ll be with you the whole way.”

Goemon couldn’t help but feel an immense amount of joy at the whole exchange. As Lupin helped his new boyfriend down from the icy roof, Goemon only had one thought floating through his head.

_I did it… I finally did it and now…_

The samurai looked upon the goofy smile on the Frenchman’s face. 

_He loves me back_.


End file.
